The Angel, the Songbird, and the Monster
by Dark Mystic Lover
Summary: Madame Giry never got the chance to help Erik, but he never needed her help, for when the Gypsy Clan that held him captive came upon a small village in Sweden, Erik made his escape. As he was hiding in the woods a small girl found him and helped him. Erik found himself drawn to the young girl. After, the girl's father took ill, Erik vowed to help his little song.
1. Chapter 1

**The Angel, the Songbird, and the Monster**

**Summary-**

Madame Giry never got the chance to help Erik, but he never needed her help, for when the Gypsy Clan that held him captive came upon a small village in Sweden, Erik made his escape. As he was hiding in the woods, nursing his wounds, a small girl found him and helped him. The young girl, Christine, convinced her father to let Erik stay with them and Erik found himself drawn to the young girl. After helping the girl's father get a job at the Opera Populaire in France, the girl's father took ill, and as the man laid on his deathbed, Erik vowed to help his little songbird take flight. But when an old face comes to the Opera Populaire, will Erik be able to help his songbird stay a flight, or will his songbird be caged forever?

**Chapter One-**

A young boy of ten crouched in the shadow of a large tree, his sharp amber eyes two people with torches looked around the dark woods frantically searching for something. The boy pulled himself deeper into the shadow, willing his body to melt into it. These people were searching for him, and he would be damned if he let them catch him. After years of torture from the hands of these people, he had finally escaped, and he was not going to let them take him back to his cage.

Once the people moved from in front of him, and he was sure they had left the area, the boy took off deep into the woods. He nimbly jumped over fallen logs, and ducked low hanging branches as he ran. His eyes well tuned to seeing in the dark, seeing as those people always kept him in the dark, unless he was being showed off to other people as a 'Freak' and the 'Devil's Child'.

The boy's leg muscles, unused to to anything but pacing in his small cage, began to ache, but the boy did not stop running, he wanted to put as much distance between him and those people, those Gypsies. The boy's breath came out in harsh pants as he forced his weak and out of shape body to keep going. After running for another five minutes, the boy tripped over a root and not having the strength to get up, the boy laid there with his eyes closed. The last thought that ran through his mind as unconsciousness took hold of him was that he hoped he had gotten far enough away.

The boy had a strange dream that night, it was strange in that it wasn't a nightmare. In the dream, the boy had been found by a beautiful Angel in the form of a young girl with long chocolate brown hair and big beautiful honey brown eyes. And though the boy did not believe in God, or Angels, the boy felt that this girl was an Angel, sent to help him.

In the dream, the young Angel had seen his hideous face, yet had not screamed or ran away. All she had done was smile sadly at him and began apologizing to him. She apologized for all the pain he had been put through and promised that from now own she and her father would take care of him. The boy had allowed the young Angel to place his head in her lap as she gently ran her fingers through his hair in a soothing motion and began to hum to him. The Angel had given him her name, Christine it had been, and he had told her his. As the dream had come to a slow end, with him being pulled back into cold, dark, unconsciousness, the boy had let a single tear slip from his eye. He did not want this dream to end.

The boy's eyes snapped open as he heard the sound of the bushes beside him rustling. The boy forced his aching body to jump up and back away from the bush, fearing that the Gypsies had found him. In his fear of being captured, his more feral instincts kicked in. His body lowered to the ground, ready to bolt if what ever was coming to him was dangerous, and a low, guttural, cat-like growl escaped his throat.

The boy froze as the young Angel, Christine, stepped through the bush. She smiled at the boy before making her way towards him. The boy stayed where he was, wondering if he was dreaming again or not.

"Christine, where did you go?" A deep, male voice called, causing the boy to jump and move to run away, but was stopped by Christine's soft and soothing voice.

"It's okay, Erik, it's just my Papa, he won't hurt you." The boy's heart began to beat faster as she said his name, it had been so long since he heard his name being uttered. "We're over here, Papa!" Christine called softly. A second later, a man burst through the same bushes Christine had. Erik's mind screamed for him to run away, that Christine was lying to him and that she and this man was going to take him back to the Gypsies.

As if sensing he was about to move, Christine turned from looking at the man to face Erik, her hand lifted up to him. Erik could sense that she was silently _asking_ him to stay, not _telling_ him. This made Erik stop as something deep in him began to whisper that maybe he could trust this girl, this young Angel.

Erik watched as Christine turned her hand so that it was not longer up to him, but out to him, silently asking, _begging,_ him to take her hand. Cautiously, Erik took her hand and watched in aw as Christine beamed up at him. No one had ever looked this happy that he, a freak, a _monster_, was touching them. His eyes dropped to their hands and his heart skipped a beat as he watched, and felt, as Christine slowly, carefully, folded her fingers around his hand before giving him a gently tug to his arm as she began to gently lead him somewhere.

"Papa," Christine said, and Erik's head snapped up to look at the man that Erik finally realized had been silently watching the two of them, "this is Erik. Erik, this is my Papa." Christine introduced them. Erik moved closer to Christine. He was uncomfortable and wanted to run away, but for some reason, he didn't want to leave Christine, his Angel.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Erik, I am Gustave Daaé, Christine's father. I am opening my home to you, you may come and go as you please." The man, Gustave, said and Erik felt his eyes tear up, never had he had this many people been so kind to him. He didn't deserve this, he was nothing but a freak, a monster. Erik bowed his head and let Christine gently lead him out of the woods and towards her's and her father's home.

**\\'~'/**

Erik stood in the shadow of the door way watching Christine and Gustave setting a small table fit for four. He had been staying with them for a little over a week and every night he vowed to himself that the next day would be his last day there. He didn't want to get too attached to Christine and her father, only to have them finally realize what he was and kick him out. But found himself never able to make himself leave the room they had given him. Last night, after a nightmare, he had been able to get to the hallway. But as he silently passed Christine's slightly opened door, something made him look into her room, and as soon as his eyes landed on her sleeping form, his need to leave left him.

Erik was brought back to the present as Christine suddenly spun around to face the door way he was standing in. Her eyes caught sight of him and held surprise before it quickly melted into happiness, this girl, this Angel, was happy to see him. "I was just about to go see if you were awake and hungry." She said as she slowly walked over to him, as if afraid that if she made any sudden movements he would bolt away. But Erik found that he could never run away from her, maybe Gustave, but never her.

He took her hand that she held out to him and let her lead him to the table. He took a spot next to Christine, and across from Gustave as the man sat down a bowl of steaming porridge. Erik patiently waited for Gustave to say grace, his eyes slowly found their way to Christine's face that was bent in silent prayer throughout the grace. Once the grace was over, Erik snapped his head down to his porridge, not wanting to be caught staring at Christine, a monster should not be allowed to be in the same place as something as beautiful and kind as Christine was.

With a silently sigh, Erik picked up his spoon and began to slowly eat his porridge. Though it was never much, the food that Gustave and Christine gave him was better than anything that those Gypsies ever gave him. "I thought that I would begin tutoring Christine on the piano," Gustave started causing Erik to glance up at him, "would you like to join in her tutoring?" Gustave asked Erik, shocking him. Erik dropped his spoon and stared at Gustave with his mouth open and felt himself slowly nod.

**\\'~'/**

Erik sat at the piano as he gently played a melody that had popped into his head. It had been about three weeks since Gustave had begun to tutor him and Christine on the piano, and Erik shocked everyone, even himself, at how quick he was able to take to it. A soft, happy sigh from his left caused Erik to turn his head towards the sound and found Christine leaning against the door way watching him with a soft smile.

"That's beautiful." She said to him as she slowly walked into the room, "Did you write it yourself?" She asked, her eyes falling to the crude mask Erik had made before they went to his eyes. Erik knew Christine didn't like it when he covered his face, she had told him so when he had tried to put a sack over his head, so he had made a compromise with himself, he would not cover his whole face, just the side that was deformed. So he took some unused leather and made a crude mask that only covered the right side of his face. Every time Christine's eyes fell on his mask, he saw the sadness in them, but she said nothing, as if sensing that this was the only way he could feel comfortable around her.

"Yes." Erik said quietly as he turned back around to face the piano. Even though he had been living with Gustave and Christine for about a month now, he found that the only person that he was actually comfortable talking to was Christine.

"Would you play something else for me?" Christine asked as she took a spot next to him on the small piano bench, causing her to be right up against him, in the most innocent way possible. The feel of her next to him made his heart race and his palms to sweat, he swallowed and rubbed his hands on his pants, to dry them, before placing his hands on the piano keys, finding that he could not find it in him to deny her. As he played another melody that had just flew into his mind, Erik suddenly began to fear that he may never be able to deny her anything.

He glanced at her and felt his heart soar at the sight of her happy face as she listened to his music with her eyes closed. And he found himself wondering if it not being able to deny this Angel anything would truly be a bad thing.

**\\'~'/**

Christine and Erik were sitting on the floor, listening to Gustave as he tutored a boy around eight how to play the violin. Erik winced slightly as the boy once again hit the wrong note in the song he was attempting to play. A soft giggle caused him to turn to Angel next to him and give her a soft smile, and take her hand in his to keep himself from standing up and showing the boy how to really play that song.

It had been a year since he began to live with Christine and Gustave, and slowly he was beginning to open up more. He had begun to allow them to touch him, he even began to initiate contact between him and Christine. He had begun to speak with Gustave, and even play for him as he did for Christine. And Erik found that he loved the feeling of the look Christine always gave him as he played her songs he had written, and had begun to write songs just for her. He also loved to listen to her sing as Gustave played his violin, Gustave was a very good violinist.

"That will be all for today, Joshua." Erik heard Gustave say to the boy. Erik turned and saw Gustave reach out and take the violin from the boy with a sigh. "Why don't you go play with Christine and Erik while I talk to your mother." Erik's eyes flew to the other side of the room where a woman with light brown, almost blond hair and blue eyes was patiently sitting, watching them. Erik knew what this meant, it meant that the boy would most likely not be coming back. Gustave had been trying to tutor the boy on the violin for about three months and he had not improved.

Erik sighed as he stood up, gently pulling Christine up with him. "Come, let up go outside and play while the adults talk." Erik said before leading Christine out of the room and outside, he glanced over his shoulder to make sure the boy, Joshua, was following them. Once they were outside Erik lead Christine to the small swing he had made for her and tied to a tree branch, he helped her on it before he gently began to push her on it. Erik kept a close eyes on Joshua, seeing as he was the oldest out of three and didn't want to be blamed if Joshua hurt him self. He watched as Joshua picked up a stick and began swinging it around. "Don't swing that around Christine, you might hit her and hurt her." Erik warned when Joshua got to close to Christine while swinging the stick.

"Make me." Joshua said in a bratish tone, but with a quick glare from Erik, Joshua backed up a safe distance from Christine. "Why do you wear the stupid mask?" Joshua asked and Erik tensed up but did not answer him as he continued to softly push Christine. "Did you hear me?" Joshua asked and Erik clinched his jaw, but continued to ignore him. "Answer me!" Joshua demanded.

"Leave him alone!" Christine cried jumping off the swing and stormed over to Joshua, Erik reached out to stop her but she gently shrugged him off. "He doesn't have to answer you if he doesn't want to!"

"Yes he does!" Joshua yelled and Erik watched, in slow motion, as Joshua lifted the stick up and swung it at Christine, hitting her with a loud 'SMACK' causing Christine to cry out in pain.

"Christine!" Erik cried and the next thing he knew, he was on top of Joshua punching him. Joshua cried out in fear and pain as he tried to push Erik off of him, but Erik was stronger and bigger than Joshua.

"Erik! Erik stop! I'm fine!" Erik heard Christine cry. He stopped in mid-punch and turned to look at her, he saw tears falling down her cheeks. Erik wasn't sure if he tears were of pain or of fear of him. Erik clinched his jaw in anger, and turned back to Joshua intending to give him one more punch before he got off of him. But Erik never got the chance, because as soon he turned turned back towards Joshua, he reached up and snatch his mask right off of him.

As Joshua screamed in terror, Erik flung himself way from the boy and covered the right side of his face as he curled into himself. He jumped as he felt arms wrap around him, as if trying to comfort him. "It's okay, shh, it's okay. I'm here." He heard Christine whisper to him and tears began fall from his eyes.

"Joshua!" He heard Joshua's mother cry.

"What's going on here?" He heard Gustave ask, he wanted to turn and explain what happened, but he was too ashamed to face the man.

"He's a freak mama! He hasn't got the right side of his face! He attacked me!" Erik heard Joshua yell and flinched.

"Shut up!" Christine yelled as he felt her hold on him tighten, "Erik is not a freak! Don't you dare call him that! And he only attacked you to defend me after you hit me with the stick!"

"Is that true Joshua?" Gustave asked.

"No! She lying!" He heard Joshua cry and whipped his head around to glare at the boy, how dare he call his Angel a lier. He watched with a dark satisfaction as Joshua flinched back and grabbed his mother's hand in fear.

"I think it is time you leave." Erik heard Gustave say and snapped his eyes towards the man, thinking he was talking to him, but was shocked to see that the man was standing protectively in front of him and Christine. It took a minute to realize that Gustave had been talking to Joshua and his mother. The woman huffed before tightening her grip on Joshua's hand before turning and storming away from them.

Once the two were out of sight, Gustave moved and Erik watched as the man walked over to Erik's discarded mask. Gustave quickly picked it up before turning to make his way over to Erik who dropped his eyes to the ground, afraid to see the angered or disgusted look in the man's eyes. Erik looked up at Gustave when he held out Erik's mask to him, he was shocked to see a small smile on the man's face.

"I thank you for defending and protecting my daughter. But violence is not the answer, next time something like this happens again, I want you to bring Christine to me, and away from who ever harmed her, and inform me, I will handling it from there. Deal?" Gustave asked and all Erik could do was silently nod his head in shock, "Good, now with that settled, let up go in and I shall tell you some stories as I prepare supper." Gustave said before Christine helped him up.

Silently he followed the two back to their home and slipped his mask back on as he silently vowed to never let this happen again. He also vowed to keep out of sight when ever Gustave and Christine had any visitors so that something like this would never be able to happen again.


	2. Chapter 2

**The Angel, the Songbird, and the Monster**

**Summary-**

Madame Giry never got the chance to help Erik, but he never needed her help, for when the Gypsy Clan that held him captive came upon a small village in Sweden, Erik made his escape. As he was hiding in the woods, nursing his wounds, a small girl found him and helped him. The young girl, Christine, convinced her father to let Erik stay with them and Erik found himself drawn to the young girl. After helping the girl's father get a job at the Opera Populaire in France, the girl's father took ill, and as the man laid on his deathbed, Erik vowed to help his little songbird take flight. But when an old face comes to the Opera Populaire, will Erik be able to help his songbird stay a flight, or will his songbird be caged forever?

**Chapter Two-**

Erik silently stood in the shadow of a tree as he watched as Christine, who was now a beautiful ten year old, walked along the beach. It had been about five years since he began to live with Christine and Gustave and Erik found him drawn towards Christine, making it impossible to leave.

He had tried to leave a few years ago after he had lost his temper and yelled and threw things, scaring his precious Angel so much that she had run from him. But as he had gotten to the edge of the woods, something made him turn around and look back at the small cabin and found Christine standing at the door watching him with tears in her eyes. She had not said anything, knowing that he did not have to stay there, that he was free to leave whenever he wanted, but Erik could sense that she _wanted_ to stop him, that she _wanted_ him to stay even though he had frightened her earlier that day.

He had forced himself to turn back around, back towards the woods, to force his body to walk, to leave her behind. But his body would not budge, and as he closed his eyes to will his body to move. The picture of Christine's crying face appeared and with a small groan, he turned and ran back to Christine, to his Angel. He had pulled her into a tight hug and began to cry into her hair and he whispered about how sorry he was that he had lost his temper and that he would never try and leave her again.

Christine had fallen asleep in his arms and he had carried her back to her room. As he had been leaving her room, Gustave has stopped him and welcomed him back home. After that night, Erik kept his promise to Christine and had never tried to leave again.

Erik was brought back to the present by Christine's distressed cry and noticed that her red scarf that he had made her for Christmas last year had been blown from around her neck by the wind and was now in the ocean. Erik moved to go fetch it for her but was stopped when a boy about fourteen, a year younger than him, suddenly appeared and ran into the ocean. Erik watched as the boy struggled to reach the red scarf, but when the boy had finally reached the scarf, he grabbed it before quickly making his way back to Christine. As the boy finally made it to Christine, Erik was able to get a good look at the boy, he was Raoul de Chagny. Gustave had been offered a job to teach Raoul how to play the violin, Gustave accepted it before packing up their home and following the de Changys to their summer home on the beach. Though why there were here now when it was still too cold to swim, was beyond Erik.

Erik shook his head an turned his attention back to Christine and was shocked to find that she was not where she had been. He quickly searched the beach and noticed that she and Raoul were heading back to the guest house that the de Changys allowed them to use. Erik quickly followed them, keeping to the shadows, his eyes narrowed as he heard Christine laugh at what ever Raoul had said. He did not like it when someone besides him made his Angel laugh.

He slipped into the house after them and followed them as they went in search of Gustave. "Oh my, Raoul, what happened? You're soaked." Gustave stated when they had found him.

"He rescued my scarf from the ocean, Papa." Christine said giggling a little and Erik's eyes narrowed.

"Oh my, well, I thank you Raoul. Now, let us get you into some dry clothes before you catch your death." Gustave said before leading Raoul out of the room.

"Papa." Christine called to him and Gustave popped his head back into the room, "Do you know where Erik is? I thought he might have been out on the beach, I know he likes to sit and watch the ocean, but he was not there." Christine said shocking Erik, his Angel had been looking for him?

"Have you checked the attic? I do believe he likes to go up there and write." Gustave told Christine.

"No, I haven't." Christine said and turned to head up to the attic. Erik quickly turned and rushed up to the attic and into the spot in front of the attic window where he like to sit and write, or draw. He quickly picked up the drawing he had been drawing when he had noticed Christine's outside, just as the attic door opened and Christine walked in. "Erik?" He heard her quietly call.

"Over here Christine." Erik called and watched her make her way to him.

"I've been looking every where for you." Christine said walking up to him.

"You have?" Erik asked before noticing that she still had her soaked scarf in her hands, "What happened to your scarf?" He asked nodding towards the scarf.

"Oh," Christine said looking down at the scarf before looking up at him bashfully. "The wind blew my scarf into the ocean, but Raoul rescued it for me." Erik clinched his jaw as an unknown feeling came over him.

"Oh, how, thoughtful of him." Erik forced himself to say. "Why don't you go and hang your scarf by the fire." He said before she had a chance to comment on his tone, "I will still be here when you get back." He added when he saw her open her mouth to protest. He watched as she nodded before turning and hurried out of the attic to hang her scarf up by the fire to dry. Once he was sure she was gone, he left out a frustrated sigh and ran his hands through his hair. What was coming over him? Why did he feel the way he did when she had mentioned Raoul? Why had he not told her that he had seen the whole thing?

A noise at the attic door caused Erik to snap his head up to look at it, he saw Gustave walk in with his violin, and stood to walk over to him to sit with Christine and listen to him play. But stopped when he saw Raoul follow Christine into the attic wearing some of his clothes. Why was that boy in his clothes? Why hadn't Gustave let Raoul wear his clothes? And what was the boy still doing here? Shouldn't he have returned home after changing? It was after supper and the sun was setting, why was he still here?

Erik moved so that he was hidden in the shadows and watched as all three of them looked around, he could tell Christine and Gustave were looking for him and that Raoul had no idea what he was looking for. "Are you sure he's still up here, Little Lotte?" Gustave asked, calling Christine by the name of the girl from Christine's favorite story about a girl named Little Lotte and her Angel of Music. Gustave had started calling her 'Little Lotte' after Christine claimed that Erik was the Angel of Music. Christine nodded as she continued to look around the attic for him.

"He promised me that he would still be here when I got back." She said.

"Maybe whoever you're looking for went down stairs." Raoul said and Christine shook her head.

"No, Erik wouldn't brake a promise to me. If he says he was going to be here when I got back, then he would not leave the attic. He's still here, he's just hiding." Christine said and Raoul looked at her.

"Why would he be hiding?" Raoul asked.

"Because you're here." Christine said and Raoul looked at her in shock.

"Why would he hide just because I'm here? Is he scared of me, do I intimidate him?" Raoul asked and Erik scoffed and rolled his eyes, as if that _boy_ would scare him.

"No, he just doesn't like meeting new people." Christine said Raoul gave her a look stating that he clearly didn't believe her.

"Well, if he doesn't like new people, then there is no point in trying to convince him to come down and listen to your father play." Raoul said before grabbing Christine's hand and began to drag her towards the attic door causing her to stumble. Erik snarled and went to pull Christine from the boy but stopped when Christine pulled herself free from Raoul's grasp.

"No Raoul, if Erik doesn't want to go downstairs, then we will stay up here with him and listen to Papa play." Christine said then walked over to a box in front of Gustave who quickly got his violin ready.

"You cannot be serious." Raoul said looking at them in disbelief, but when Christine and Gustave did not make a move to leave, Raoul huffed before storming over to Christine. Erik feared that Raoul would try to drag her out of the room, but was shocked when Raoul sat down next to Christine. Erik's shock quickly turned to anger when he noticed how close Raoul was sitting to Christine.

Throughout Gustave's song, Erik constantly switched from glaring at Raoul to staring at Christine trying to mentally will her to move away from Raoul. After Gustave was done playing Raoul and Christine clapped for him. "Oh that was so wonderful Papa!" Christine cried and Gustave smiled at his daughter.

"Maybe one of these days I will be able to play as well as you, Gustave." Raoul said and Erik scoffed at that. Erik let out a deep chuckle, allowing everyone hear how he disagreed with Raoul. Sure, the boy was good, but no matter how much he practiced or played, he would never be as good as either him or Gustave, and that was because the boy only _played_ the music, he never _felt_ the music like him, Gustave, and even Christine. He nearly laughed again when he saw Raoul jump in fright. "What was that?"

"That would be Erik." Gustave said before looking around to try and catch a sight of Erik. "And what do you find so amusing, Erik?"

"The fact that Raoul, believes he will one day be a good as you, my dear Gustave." Erik said throwing his voice so that they would not be able to find him.

"And what makes you think I will not?" Raoul demanded to know.

"You do not feel the music. You shall never be as good as Gustave, nor I, unless you stop playing the music and _feel_ it." Erik said, once again throwing his voice. Raoul huffed and puffed, opening and closing his mouth before turning and storming down the stairs. Once he was sure Raoul would not be returning, Erik allowed himself to step out of the shadows.

"Erik, that was very rude of you!" Christine cried walking up to Erik.

"I only told the boy the truth." Erik told her and was shocked when Christine glared at him and folded her arms over her chest, never had his Angel glared at him before.

"Even if it were the truth, you should not have told him that! Go an apologize to Raoul." She demanded and Erik stared at her in outrage. How dare his Christine, his Angel, demand that he apologize to that _boy_!

"I will not apologize for tell the truth!" Erik yelled causing Christine to flinch back which caused his anger to calm a little not wanting to frighten his Angel like he had a few years ago.

"If you don't apologize to Raoul, I shall not speak to you again!" Christine cried and Erik's anger flared once again.

"I will not apologize to that _boy_!" Erik growled to her. The two of them stood there glaring at each other for a minute before Christine spun around

"Then you leave me no choice Erik, from this day forth, until you apologize to Raoul, you are no longer my friend." Christine said before running out of the room. Erik stared after her, his heart clinched in pain as his eyes began to water. Christine, his Angel, had chosen that _boy_ over him, her Angel of Music!

"I shall go see if I can go talk to Christine and calm her down." Gustave said before he left with his violin, but Erik barely heard him. Erik reached over and grabbed the first thing that his hand came in contact and threw it giving out an enraged cry. He continued to yell and scream as he threw things, not caring if things broke or not. Once he had gotten all of his anger out he collapsed to his knees panting, a noise outside caused him to crawl on his hands and knees to the attic window. What he saw caused him to let out a painful sob as he began to cry, there was his Christine, his Angel, in the arms of Raoul, letting him kiss her. He bowed his head and curled in on himself as his tears fell faster. He didn't even jump when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry, I know how you feel about her." He had Gustave say softly as he felt Gustave kneel down beside him, and began to rub his back in a comforting way. "But you must realize, she is just a child, she does not realized that what she feels for Raoul now, is just a crush that will fade over time. I believe, that given time, Christine will mature and see what I see."

"And what is it that you see, Gustave?" Erik asked pathetically as he lifted his head up to watch as Christine watched Raoul leave with a dreamy look on her face. A look that Erik felt that only he should be allowed to place on her face.

"That you and her are meant for each other. I see it in the way you act around each other, it is like the two of you are drawn to one another. Give her time Erik, she will come around, and I know she does not mean what she said to you today. You are still her best friend. Just give her some time." Gustave whispered. The two sat there in silence for a few minutes before Erik found the strength to stand up. He couldn't stay here and watched that _boy_ prance around here with his Christine on his arm. And though he felt that Gustave was right, he wouldn't, _couldn't_, stay here and wait who knows how many days, weeks, months, _years_, it might take for Christine's little _crush_ to fade. But Erik felt it might not be that long, he felt that Raoul would get bored of playing the violin and this little _game_ he had started with Christine. Which one he would get bored of first, he did not know, he just knew that both would happen. And when that did, Gustave would not only be out of a job, but him and Christine would be out of a home.

"I'm leaving. Tonight." Erik stated.

"Erik-" Gustave started as he stood up but Erik stopped him by holding up his hand.

"I cannot stay here and watch them." Erik said and Gustave did not need to ask who he was talking about. "I shall come back, or I will send for you once I find you another job." Gustave opened his mouth but Erik once again held up his hand stopping, "I have a feeling that once Raoul gets tired of either the violin, or this little _game_ he is playing with Christine, he will have his father fire you and you will be in need of a job."

"And were will you go?" Gustave asked.

"I do not know, Paris perhaps, Christine has always been interested in visiting Paris." Erik said, the last part more to himself. Gustave nodded before walking up to him and placed a hand on his should.

"We will miss you." Gustave said.

"And I shall miss you." Erik said before turning and left the attic to go to his room and pack. As he was packing he heard his door quietly open, he glanced up and used the reflection of his mirror to see Christine standing in his door way ringing her hands nervously. "Can I help you?" Erik asked, trying keep his voice calm and emotionless, instead of harsh and biting that the thought of her with Raoul caused him to feel, as he turned back to packing.

"Is what Papa says true? Are you really leaving tonight?" Christine asked, and Erik heard that she was fighting back her tears and his heart clinched but he forced himself to keep packing.

"It is true." Erik said and closed his eyes to keep from spinning around to face a now crying Christine when he heard her sob loudly.

"But you promised! You promised me you would never leave me!" Christine cried out to him causing his hand to pause for a second before he forced it to continue packing.

"I'm sorry Christine, it seems that that promise is one that I will not be able to keep." Erik said as he tied his pack closed. He pulled it over his head and onto his shoulder before he turned around and nearly fell when Christine collided with his body.

"Please, don't leave me. I didn't mean it." She whispered and Erik closed his eyes to keep from crying before he gently pulled her body from his, he stared into her eyes before gently taking her face in his hand and kissed her forehead. He squeezed his eyes closed as he felt a tear fall from his eye.

"Do not worry, we will see each other again." He whispered against her forehead and her arms flew around his waist.

"When?" Christine asked as he felt her gently squeeze him.

"That I do not know." Erik told her before letting her go, and removed her arms from him, before he swept out of his room and nearly ran out of the house, forcing himself to not look back, knowing that if he did he would not have the strength to leave. And as much as this was hurting him, he knew that if he stayed and were to see Christine and Raoul together every day, he would surely die, either by his own hands or from a broken heart.


	3. Chapter 3

**The Angel, the Songbird, and the Monster**

**Summary-**

Madame Giry never got the chance to help Erik, but he never needed her help, for when the Gypsy Clan that held him captive came upon a small village in Sweden, Erik made his escape. As he was hiding in the woods, nursing his wounds, a small girl found him and helped him. The young girl, Christine, convinced her father to let Erik stay with them and Erik found himself drawn to the young girl. After helping the girl's father get a job at the Opera Populaire in France, the girl's father took ill, and as the man laid on his deathbed, Erik vowed to help his little songbird take flight. But when an old face comes to the Opera Populaire, will Erik be able to help his songbird stay a flight, or will his songbird be caged forever?

**Chapter Three-**

Erik stared at the letter in his hand. A few months ago he had made it to Paris and had made himself a home under the Opera Populaire after deciding that the Opera Populaire would be a good place for Gustave to find work, and had made his new reputation as the Opera House Ghost by accident. He had been sneaking around the hallways, trying to see if there was an opening for Gustave or if he would have to make one. As he had been listening in on the manager as he was having a meeting, he had been spotted, but before the person could stop him, Erik had run and disappeared into one of the hidden passageways he had found.

As the rumor of a ghost in the opera spread, he decided to use this for his own purposes. He began to 'haunt' the Populaire, and after discovering the manager's smuggling and tax evasion, he began to blackmail the manager into giving him twenty thousand francs a month. He also began to slowly take over the Opera Populaire, and allowing the rumors of him to spread fear into everyone's heart it didn't take long before he was practically running the Populaire.

And after firing one of the violinist for not being able to play, he had written a letter to Gustave that read:

'_My dear friend,_

_I am writing you this letter to let you know that I am safe and that I am sorry for not writing sooner. I find myself living in the Opera Populaire in Paris now. I have come upon the news that the Opera Populaire is in need of a new violinist. If you wish to take the position, I shall inform the manager to expect you and Christine. I am sure that the chorus would love to have her voice. _

_I also wish to tell you and Christine both that I miss you both terribly. I miss the nights we shared together making music together and sharing old stories of the North. I do so hope you will consider taking the position as the new violinist. If you do, we would be able to once again live like a family again._

_Sincerely,_

_Erik_'

Erik had sent the letter a week ago, and had just gotten Gustave's reply.

'_Erik,_

_You do not realized how great of a timing your letter had. For when I received it, I had just been told by the Ctomte that my services were no longer needed. I fear you had been correct in your assumption that Raoul would one day tire of the Violin. I would gladly take the position as the new violinist._

_My dear friend, me and Christine have missed you terribly too. I regret to tell you that for a week after you left Christine refused to leave your room. She barely slept, the only time she did was when she cried herself to sleep. The only time she will eat is after I remind her of how you would hate it if you to found out she was starving herself when we met up again. I do believe that your leaving shocked the poor girl out of her crush for Raoul._

_I do so hope to be in Paris within the month._

_Sincerely,_

_Gustave._'

Erik reread the letter not knowing how to feel, he felt relieved that Christine no longer held feeling for the boy Raoul, but it pained him to know that she had suffered so from his leaving. He sat the letter down and made a silent vow that he would never cause his Angel to suffer like that again once she returned to him.

**\\'~'/**

Erik stood in the shadow of the Opera Populaire awaiting Gustave and Christine, it had been a month since he had received Gustave's letter. He had been waiting in the shadow of the Opera Populaire the whole day, he wanted to be the first person they met when they arrived at the Populaire, but it was late now, and Erik was beginning to fear something had happened to delay them. The sound of a carriage coming to a stop pulled Erik out of his thoughts, Erik pushed himself further into the shadow and watched as the carriage door opened and Gustave step out. Erik released the breath he had been holding as Gustave turned and helped Christine out of the carriage before going to help the driver unload their baggage. Erik's heart skipped a beat as he took this opportunity to stare at Christine.

Though it had only been just a few months since he had seen her, the moment Erik laid eyes on Christine it felt like it had been years. Christine hadn't grown very much in the few months, but Erik could tell that she had lost weight. "Papa, are you sure that it is alright to come here so late?" Christine asked.

"I am sure. Erik says he lives here, and I told him we would be here within a month, I'm sure he is expecting us." Gustave said as the carriage took off, leaving them. Erik took this time to move towards them.

"Are you sure Papa, maybe we should-Erik!" Christine cried when she spotted him and ran up to him beaming as her eyes teared up. Once she got to him, she threw her arms around his neck and he quickly wrapped his arms around her waist and lifted her up while spinning her around. Christine laughed and after going months without hearing her laugh, it sounded like heaven to Erik and he couldn't help but laugh with her. "I've missed you so much, Erik." Christine said as he sat her down, she began to wiped away her tears, that Erik hoped were tears of joy.

"Missed you too, my little Angel." Erik told her honestly and noticed as her eyes flew to the left side of his face before back to his eyes.

"You've changed masks." She informed him. The moment Erik decided to take on the role of 'Phantom of the Opera' he got rid of his crude leather mask in exchange for his new pure white porcelain mask. He had also begun to dress in darker clothes and a black cape to help him blend into the shadows easier.

"That I did." Erik said before turning and, with his hand on Christine's lower back, he began to lead not only Christine but Gustave towards the Opera Populaire. He stopped before turning towards Gustave and took most of their belongings into his arms. "Allow me." He said before continuing to lead them. "You're rooms are prepared, and as you settle in I shall inform Madame Giry, the ballet instructor, that you are here. And tomorrow you will have a meeting with the Manager. I am positive that you will be given the job, Gustave, and even if the Manager feels that Christine is too young to be in the Chorus, he will allow her to stay with you." He told them as he silently lead them into the opera house and towards the rooms that he had made sure was prepared for them.

"How ever were you able to set this up?" Gustave asked as he marveled the rooms that Erik had showed to them. Erik wasn't surprised that they were shocked, these rooms had once belonged to the Prima Donna. It had taken most of the month, but after some..._coaxing_, she had finally relented and allowed him to have the rooms.

"Oh, I have my ways." Erik said as he sat down their belongings while hiding a dark smirk that had appeared on his face. "Well," Erik said straightening up, "Though I hate to leave you so soon, but I must go and inform Madame Giry of your arrival, plus I have some _work_ I must finish." He said before turning and making his way to the door. But as soon as his hand touched the handle, he felt the small body of Christine collide with his as she wrapped her arms around his waist and laid her forehead against his back.

"Will I see you tomorrow?" She asked and Erik heard the fear in her voice, the fear that if he walked out of this room that she might not ever see him again. As quickly and as gently as he could, Erik spun in her arms and pulled her into a hug.

"Oh Christine," He whispered, "My dear, sweet, Christine. I swear to God, that for as long as you wish, I will never leave you again. And even if you never wish to see me again, I shall still be with you, only in the shadows." He said to her as he rested his cheek on her head and ran his hands lovingly through he hair.

"I shall never wish to not see you." Christine whispered which caused Erik to smile softly. With a sigh, he reluctantly pulled away from Christine, but not before kissing her forehead.

"I shall see you tomorrow, when ever I have free time, and then tomorrow evening, we shall dine together as family, like we used to." Erik announced and beamed when Gustave smiled and Christine gave a squeal and clapped her hands. It felt so good to have them back in his life.

**\\'~'/**

Erik smiled to himself as he walked out of the secret door connected to his secret tunnels once he was sure that no one would see him. He quickly walked towards the door to Gustave and Christine's rooms as he straightened his clothes. It had been almost two weeks since Gustave had been given the job as a violinist. His smile left his face once he entered the rooms and felt the tension in the rooms. He slowly walked over towards the table which Christine and Gustave were sitting at. He noticed that the table was clear of food, and that Christine was looking at her hands as she fiddle nervously with them and refused to meet his eyes. He looked over at Gustave and noticed that he too was refusing to meet his eyes. Confused and slightly concerned Erik slowly sat across from Gustave, away from him and Christine, even though he usually sat right across from Christine with Gustave in between them. From they way they were acting, he felt that they would not wish for him to sit closer to them.

"What is it? What is wrong?" Erik asked. Had that fool of a Manager fired Gustave? No, he was sure that Gustave had not been fired, he was too good of a violinist for the Manager to even think about firing him. Had something happened to Christine? Had one of the stagehands touched her? Had _Buquet_ touched her? The thought of someone touching her made Erik see red before his rational thought began to whisper to him. If something had happened, Gustave and Christine would not be so calm.

"As you know, Erik, we have been here a little over a week." Gustave started bringing Erik out of his thoughts. "And there have been some stories, _rumors_, of an 'Opera Ghost'." He continued lifting his eyes to Erik's and Erik tensed. He knew this conversation would happen sooner or later, he knew that the _stories_ of him would soon reach Gustave and his Christine's ears. Erik's eyes calmly moved over his Christine who was still staring at her hands.

"And I am to assume that you, too, have heard these _stories_?" Erik asked her calmly. He watched her tense up before forcing herself to relax.

"I heard them from Madame Giry's daughter, Meg, and some of the Ballet dancers." Christine said nervously, as if she were afraid she would get someone in trouble.

"At first, I didn't wish to believe them." Gustave said and Erik looked at him with a guarded look. "But then I heard his description, that he wore a porcelain mask on the right side of his face. And even then, I still didn't want to believe them, for there could be no way that you would do what they claim you have. I did not wish to believe that you were the one responsible to the fear in everyone here. But then I got to thinking, I have never actually seen you around the opera house unless in a dark corner where no one could see us." Gustave paused.

"And it got you thinking: 'How did Erik know about the job? What _happened_ to the violinist you were replacing?'" Erik asked as if reading Gustave's thoughts.

"What _did_ happen to him, Erik?" Christine asked tensely.

"I did not harm him." Erik told her and as her body seem to deflate with relief, "He was fired by the Manager, not because I forced him," Erik said seeing the question in Gustave's eyes, "But because the Manager believed he could not play. And I agreed with him. And as soon as a violinist spot opened, I instantly thought of you." Erik told Gustave, what he said was the truth. When he had first gotten here he heard the Manager debate rather to fire the violinist or keep him, eventually he decided to fire the man.

"You have not denied to be this 'Phantom'." Gustave stated after a few minutes silence.

"That is because I cannot." Erik said and heard Christine's intake of breath. "But I can assure you that I have not killed anyone or purposefully caused someone harm, nor have I seduced anyone into my bed as the stories claim I have." Erik reassured her and Gustave. "I do admit that I have threatened people pulled a few _pranks_, but never with any intention to harm, only scare. I even admit to blackmailing the Manager into paying me twenty thousand francs a month." He added and had to fight back a smirk at the shocked look on Gustave's face. "I have been using half the money on buying stuff for the operas that I believe have helped them and the other half on food and other necessities for me to live. But if my blackmailing the Manager makes you uncomfortable, I shall stop, but I will not stop my role as the 'Opera Ghost'." Erik told them before standing up.

"Are you leaving?" Christine asked finally looking up at him with a scared look in her eyes.

"I believe it would be best if I left for the night." Erik said before moving closer to her and tentatively ran his thumb down her cheek, "But, if you wish, I shall visit you tomorrow when I have free time."

"I would like that." Christine whispered. Erik gave her a small smile, happy that she still wished to see him, and kissed her forehead before bidding both of them goodnight and leaving.


End file.
